THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (Part 2)

By my fifth day in the Galapagos Islands I knew that I wanted to extend the trip in order to see more of the islands and luckily the change fee was only $1.40! After extending my stay I mapped out my final five days on the islands.

Isla Isabela
From Isla Santa Cruz I packed a day pack and left for Isla Isabela to enjoy two days on the island.  It took only 1.5 hours to get there by speedboat and then an easy 10 minute walk to get to the main town, Puerto Villamil.  It was a nice change of pace to get away from the crowds in this small laid back town.

The main beach on the island was perfect for walking...a long stretch of isolated white sand beaches!

During my time on the island I managed to see some of the nearby sites by bike as well.  From Puerto Villamil I followed a dirt path along the beach and then crossed through a red lagoon to arrive at the tortoise breeding center on the island.  I actually preferred this breeding center over the one on the main island, as it provided more backround information on the species.

Look at that face!

Red Lagoon




  





By the time I reached the path again it was boiling hot and I was dripping sweat!  All of the viewpoints were beautiful but I was startng to become exhausted!

Along the dirt path

 Although I was tempted to turn around I figured that I should see the final site before calling it a day.  After a bumpy 7km uphill ride through the slippery gravel I finally made it to Muro de Las Lagrimas (Wall of Tears).   Perhaps it was because I was so exhausted and was expecting something more but when I got there I thought to myself "are you kidding me...I biked all this way for a wall!".  Regardless, I made it to the end of the trail, took a couple pictures of this lava brick wall built by convicts in the 50s, and then went back to town as quickly as possible so I could hydrate and eat lunch!





Muro de Las Lagrimas



Later on I biked to the main port before returning the bike.  There were a ton of iguanas and sea lions out and about on this quiet afternoon.

By the time I finished my day I was exhausted and ready to take a cold shower, eat, then go to bed!  I was up bright and early the next day to catch the boat back to the main island.  Luckily I was at least rewarded with a beautiful sunrise at the port!

Overall it was great to get away and experience Isla Isabela for a couple days.  The locals were incredibly friendly, the food was delicious (and cheap!) and it was easy to get around the island.

Kicker Rock (Dive Trip)

On my first day in San Cristobal (below) I went to a local dive site called Kicker Rock.  Typically, for any diver going to the Galapagos Islands their main goal is to see hammerhead sharks.  Of course, that was my hope as well!  We left at 8am and made our way to the site arriving a couple hours later.

Kicker Rock aka Leon Dormido

After doing a test dive we went in between the rocks, along the wall for the first dive.  We saw so many sharks on both of the dives.  Its a shame I didn´t have a camera but one of the dive masters managed to capture this shot of a hammerhead as it was approaching us.

Our wonderful divemaster, Angel

During our second dive we saw more hammerheads, Galapagos Sharks, and Reef Sharks, along with plenty of fish and turtles.  While the visibility wasn´t great we certainly were able to see a nice variety of fish at the site.

On our way back we went snorkeling with sea lions at a place called Islas Lobos.  We had a lot of fun playing with the sea lions and they were very curious about us!

Overall, this was a great tour/dive site/day trip to do on the island

Isla San Cristobal

Isla San Cristobal was the last leg of my journey and pehaps my favorite island of all.  The main reason that I loved this island was because it had a nice port town, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, that had everything you could need but wasn't nearly as developed or touristy as Puerto Ayora.  I spent my last three full days of my trip in San Cristobal. 

My favorite part of the island was the fact that there were sea lions EVERYWHERE.  During ciesta everyday there would be far more sea lions out than people.  They took over public benches, playgrounds, and the beach.  If you tried to get in their way they would bark and scoot over to scare off anyone!

  

Clearly this sea lion didn´t get the memo

Overtaking the beach



Hanging out at sunset

Scaring away the children!



Apart from my obsession with the sea lions I managed to see quite a few parts of the island as well.  The beaches near the main town were great for both swimming and snorkeling.  In the morning at low tide it felt like I was stepping into an underwater aquarium.  Less than 5 feet from the shore I was able to see a family of massive sting rays, turtles, and a wide variety of fish.

It is hard to sum up San Cristobal because I didn't do that much there.  Perhaps the best part of the island was just wandering around without a plan!

Local beach with Puerto Baquerizo Moreno in the backround

Overall, I was very happy that I decided to do the Galapagos Islands independently.  While it certainly required a little more work and planning, it was worth it, not only because I spent significantly less money, but I was able to customize the trip to cater to my interests.  The combination of day trips, exploring the islands by foot/bike independently, and diving was perfect.  All in all, my Galapagos adventure was unforgettable, unbelievable, and certainly well worth the money! I can't wait to return someday!